The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-15
THE ROSE OF ERIN.

tne Only ODStHcie W Her uVCcP'"hNO VI
the kind offer lay in the fact that her
faithful old family servant, Mehitable
Cranch, had been called away to attend
upon the lingering illness OF a sister,
and would probably be detained for
weeks at her bedside.
Lucy had lived at the homestead since
her parents death, and had cared Tor
and petted quite an army of domestics
who had been left upon her hands.
They had gradually grown decrepit
and superannuated, but her heart was
too tender to have them made away
with, and now she could not harbor
the thought of shutting up the house
and leaving them to forage for them
selves.
In this emergency she concluded to
leave her washerwoman in charge.
She had only lived in the village few
months, but was a respectable looking
woman, and a church member. She
was glad of the offer, only STIMULATING
that she should be allowed to have her
stey daughter come and stay with
her.
Lucy consented cheerfully.
81 did not know that you had any
family, Mrs. OConnor. Where is the
little girl? ?" she asked.
"She is at school with the Sisters,
maam. Poor O'Connor left little
money, and made up my mind that
Norah should have the good of it in
getting an education.
Norah O'Connor was not the little
girl Lucy had pictured to herself in re-
curing to Mrs. O'Conner's words. She
was fully sixteen, and had blossomed
within the year into a rich, enhancing
beauty.
Lucy had already gone when Norah
came; so all through the summer she
retained the impression that Mrs.
O'Connors step daughter was frolic-
some child, drinking in her fill of coun-
try sights and sounds before autumn
should take her back to the Sisters.
Lucy had few relatives; but her
cousin Howe-an orphan like herself
had always been TO her like
brother He saw Lucy and her party
safely of, and promised at the parting
moment to look in at the homestead ev-
cry dav to see that all went satisfactor-
lily there
T. So Lucy cast care to the win DIS, and
gave herself up to the enjoyments of
the novel scenes which soon surround
cd her, and amid which the first romance
OF her life began.
Such delicious moonlight rambles,
when, amid the group of pedestrians,
Lucy was the one invariably singled out
by Vincent FARMLAND, But the season
passed. and Lucy returned home with a
new pain haunting her heart.
If Vincent FARMLAND loved her-as
his actions had plainly showed-why
had he remained silent?
Lucy's thoughts never once turned
upon the real reason of Nincent's 81
Ience. She herself cared so little for
money that suggestion that her pos
sessions were barrier to Vincent hav-
ing declared himself her lover would
have brought an incredulous smile to
her lips.
He was the last representative OF q
proud but impoverished family and had
worked his way through college by taxi
ing private pupils. He had yielded to
the perilous sweetness of the attraction
which drew him toward Lucy, and all
unwittingly had planted thorn in her
previously tranquil heart.
But he was equally sufferer. Never
before had he coveted wealth. Had he
possessed the treasures OF the Indies,
he would cast them at her feet; but the
one rich treasure which he could have
offered-his heart was withheld.
So the two parted-each TO 60 q diff
ferenl way-each TO carry heart filed
with pain along life's hitherto cloudless
pathway.
Howe met Lucy at the station. He
was so preocupied in his manner that
Lucy noticed it and said at last.
"What are you thinking of, Cousin
Howe? You have barely said half n
dozen words since we met Has any
thing happened?"
Howe colored at Lucy's question.
After moments silence, lie answer
ed in low tone:
"Yes, Lucy something has happened,
and il you have no objection, L will